Public Employee Press

It's unanimous: Roberts re-elected
Her slate wins for Executive Board; vote on secretary spot Jan. 22

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Union delegates unanimously re-elected DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts to a fifth term on Nov. 27.

"It is a privilege to work with you," she told the more than 300 delegates. "You put a lot of meaning into my life."

Roberts was nominated by Local 371 President Anthony Wells without opposition and was declared elected under the union's constitution.

Two of the three officers on Roberts's slate were also nominated without opposition: DC 37 President Eddie Rodriguez, the president of Local 1549, and Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin, the president of Local 1407.

In addition, the 20 candidates for vice president on Roberts's "Members First" slate were nominated unopposed to serve on the DC 37 Executive Board.

At the Nov. 27 delegates meeting, the council's "5 percent locals" also chose their vice presidents for the executive board. Nominated without opposition and declared elected were SSEU Local 371 President Anthony Wells, Local 372 President Santos Crespo Jr., Local 420 President Carmen Charles and Local 1549 Executive Vice President Alma Roper. Local 375 Secretary Jon Forster defeated Delegate Ahmed Shakir for the vice president position in a vote by the local's delegates.

Under the DC 37 Constitution, council locals that represent at least 5 percent of the union's total membership are entitled to a vice president chosen by their delegation. The 20 other vice presidents are elected by the delegates of the remaining locals

Local 375 member Michelle Keller is challenging incumbent DC 37 Secretary Cliff Koppelman, the president of Local 1070, for the secretary position. The vote will be held at the Jan. 22 delegates meeting after that election the four top officers and 25 vice presidents will be sworn in to serve their three-year terms of office.

James Tucciarelli, president of Local 1320, and Cuthbert B. Dickenson, president of Local 374, nominated the 20 vice presidential candidates from the smaller locals, who face no opposition.

They are Local 2627 President Robert Ajaye, Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn, Local 1507 President Sirra J. Crippen, Local 1455 President Michael DeMarco, Dickenson, Local 154 President Juan Fernandez Local 1655 President Jonathan H. Gray, Local 1501 President Robert K. Herkommer, Local 1359 President Dennis Ifill, Local 1597 President Eric Latson, Local 2054 President Dishunta Meredith, Local 2507 President Israel Miranda, Local 1113 President Deborah A. Pitts, Local 957 President Walthene Primus, Local 299 President Jackie Rowe-Adams, Local 508 President Peter Stein, Tucciarelli, Local 384 President Esther "Sandy" Tucker and Local 1219 President Shirley Williams.

Roberts has identified her priorities for the coming term as negotiating a new contract, winning additional compensation for certain titles through a salary review process with the city, and overseeing the return to DC 37's headquarters, which was seriously damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

In his nominating speech, Wells described Roberts as the leader DC 37 needs at a time when it is important for the union to "come together and be on the same page.